Man!

Well. I haven't blogged in a while....reasons soon to be clear.

Last time I checked in, I was ready to go onstage, following a car accident in which my car was totalled. The story since then? Categorize it under "yeesh".

So. In the plus column, I did manage to go onstage that night, managed even to sing despite the fact that every breath felt, quite literally, like a jagged glass shoved into my chest. Went all right, and the show itself was a huge success. Major audience appreciation, and a lot of people praised the fact that I wrote it, wrote all the music, directed it, designed the set, built the set...and even (for one night) performed in it. Man, that sounds insane, now that I look back on it. But it's nice.....it's the biggest thing I've ever done, and it's fulfilling to know that it was so, seemingly, successful.

That's the plus column, pretty much in its entirety.

On that day of the accident, while they were CT scanning me to check for heart contusions, so forth, they discovered enlarged lymph nodes in my lungs. Could be anything, inflamation, anything. Of course, there was also a chance (not a huge chance, but a chance) that it was cancer. So they told me to follow up with my doctor, which I did after the show closed. He was concerned, and scheduled more follow-ups. After numerous visits, a surgery was finally scheduled to remove one of the nodes for a biopsy.

They did it, in early January. They went into my lungs through my throat (leaving an oh-so-attractive 4-inch scar right across my throat (I look like I lost a knife fight with Rambo)). Between the accident and the post-surgery recovery, I spent almost two solid months of deep pain, every time I breathed. And if I had to sneeze? God....you have no idea.

The good news, though....it was not cancer. Simply, they believe, the result of bronchitis I had about a year ago. Sometimes, apparently, bronchitis will inflame the nodes, and they never shrink back down when it's gone. So it was important to check, and good to know I'm healthy...but disturbing, and scary, and a bit painful.

Also, on the 14th of December, one week after the accident (and 4 days after the doctor tells me I might have cancer in my lungs, thank you very much), I lost my job, after 11 years of pretty successful service. I had not been happy in that job for a while, but it was still pretty shocking to suddenly be unemployed. Basically, the owner of the company (who originally hired me) has turned the business over to her kids, and her one daughter decided to eliminate my position. With barely the skills to use a mouse, she has decided she wants to run the Information Services department without me. God bless her, good luck.

Since then, I've been looking, and had some nibbles (and not the good kind, more's the pity), but nothing yet. I have one opportunity that looks pretty good -- third interview tomorrow, but nothing's final yet....and this opportunity would require me to travel 4 days a week, which would kill my theatre work....which would hurt my heart. At this point, though, obviously I will take it without hesitation.

If this does pan out, I will continue to look for a better job. That may end up screwing my new employer, but I'm not so sure, at this point, I am too too invested in the concept of employer/employee loyalty.

I've had a slew (sloo? slough?) of family issues as well, ones I don't feel like discussing just now, just here...suffice it to say that it really is true -- kids will break your heart.

And, just to leaven this lovely pot, last Saturday night, driving to the theatre, some guy slammed into me from behind. Totalling yet another car, and sending me yet again to the hospital. The hospital was precautionary, and I'm perfectly fine. But God, you know? In December, I owned three cars. Since then, I've blown the engine on one (and replaced the engine (not a cheap proposition); replaced the transmission on one (even less cheap), totalled two of them, and now I get to look for a replacement car. While I'm out of work.

Not too too easy to get financing for a car when you're unemployed.